2018ís Best State Capitals to Live in

News Staff - February 20, 2018

UNDATED - Only 17 state capitals are also the largest cities in their respective states, but they don’t necessarily offer the best quality of life. To take a closer look at this issue, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2018's Best State Capitals to Live in.

To identify the most livable seats of state government, WalletHub compared all 50 state capitals across 51 key metrics, ranging from cost of living to K–12 school-system quality to number of attractions.

Top 20 State Capitals to Live in

1

Austin, TX

11

Columbus, OH

2

Madison, WI

12

Helena, MT

3

Boise, ID

13

Olympia, WA

4

Lincoln, NE

14

Oklahoma City, OK

5

Bismarck, ND

15

St. Paul, MN

6

Raleigh, NC

16

Cheyenne, WY

7

Denver, CO

17

Montpelier, VT

8

Salt Lake City, UT

18

Pierre, SD

9

Juneau, AK

19

Des Moines, IA

10

Concord, NH

20

Phoenix, AZ

Best vs. Worst

Juneau, Alaska, has the highest median household income (adjusted for cost of living), $67,310, which is 2.6 times higher than in Hartford, Connecticut, the city with the lowest at $26,264.

Bismarck, North Dakota, has the lowest unemployment rate, 1.7 percent, which is 4.6 times lower than in Hartford, Connecticut, the city with the highest at 7.8 percent.

Providence, Rhode Island, has the lowest share of state-, local- & federal- government employees, 8.4 percent, which is 4.6 times lower than in Juneau, Alaska, the city with the highest at 38.4 percent.

Madison, Wisconsin has the highest share of adults 25 years and older with at least a bachelor’s degree, 56.3 percent, which is 4.7 times higher than in Trenton, New Jersey, the city with the lowest at 11.9 percent.

Montpelier, Vermont has the lowest violent-crime rate per 1,000 residents, 1.99, which is 7.8 times lower than in Charleston, West Virginia, the city with the highest at 15.52.